F A Q s

Getting married? You probably have a million questions or ideas in your head and wondering how it would work with us? Have a read below and hopefully some of those questions will be answered. If not, we would love nothing more than for you to send us an email with what ever is on your mind.

When I hire you, who is taking the photos?

You'll be getting both Harley and Ainsley. Each of us have our own creative flair, and having two of us there means we won't miss a thing! On the rare occasion where both of us aren't available for your day, we will use one of our other trusty photographer friends to fill in a spot. But we will let you know all of this ahead of time.

Where are you based? And do you travel?

Yes, we love to travel! We are based on the Gold Coast but our work has taken us to some awesome places around the world. All we ask is for you to cover any travel and accomodation costs needed in order for us to be there on your day. We do want to make sure it is an affordable and easy experience for you both so we are happy to discuss and send through our travel rates or a customised quote (for international weddings) before finalising anything first.

How many edited photos do I get and how long does it take?

This really depends on what package you go with. If you would like to see our packages and what is included then shoot us through a hello on our contact page and we can send you through the details. But anywhere between 600 - 800 is generally what we give for our two standard day packages. We generally say 4 - 6 weeks is our turn around period. Our busier periods may take a little longer, which means it may take up to 8 weeks, but we don't like to overbook our schedules with weddings so that we can get your photo's done ASAP.

Do you give us the RAW images?

To put it simply, No. When you hire us, you are hiring our style and trust us to bring our creative interpretation to your day. The editing process is equally important as the photo taking part. We may take a photo in a certain way with the editing process in mind to get the final product we were going for. And let's be honest, the RAW images are not that pretty to look at anyway. We generally give most of the photos that we have taken on the day anyway... minus any blurry ones or if someone got in the way, etc.

What are your prices?

Send us through an email on our contact page and we will send you the link to our full package list. Our base package currently starts at $3400 for 8 hours coverage based on 2018 prices.

We don’t like posing and are both a little awkward?

That’s fine! (We hated it too). We will talk you through it and make you feel as comfortable as we can. We like steer away from overly posed and stiff styled photography anyway! We will suggest a few poses to make sure you're both looking good, but then we will direct you and play around to let it naturally unfold from there. All we ask is that you trust us to do our thing, forget about the cameras, and to remember why you fell in love.

What happens if it rains on the wedding day?

We still shoot! (with your permission of course). Nothing should get in the way of making your day special. We will use umbrellas and shoot away to our hearts desire, create fun memories… and look for alternate safe havens along the way. As long as you are happy to roll with the punches then we are too! We have taken some epic photos in pouring rain before! We like to avoid having to rebook your wedding portraits if weather is not great. If it's just absolutely terrible and there's no time or place to get any portraits together then yes we suggest maybe booking in to redo some portraits. But we do feel the portraits should reflect you and the day as it happened, not a picture perfect redone moment.

Do we need to feed you?

Yes please! We will be on our feet all day and need our creative juices to keep on flowing! Usually your venue will offer vendor meals at a lower cost (something to think about asking when booking venues or caterers) We don’t even need to sit at your guests table! All we need is a plate, knife and fork, and we will be happy. Food preference? Ainsley does prefer a vegetarian meal if the choice is offered, but otherwise we eat anything!

HOW DO WE GET OUR PHOTOS FROM YOU?

We deliver an online gallery to you which allows you to download your images from the internet. You can share your images from there on social media also. When booking one of our set wedding packages you also receive your images as high resolution files on a fancy USB to keep with you when visiting grandma.

what gear do you SHOOT WITH?

We both shoot on Cannon 5D mark III. We like to switch between a variety of prime lenses including 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 100mm, 135mm, 45mm Tilt-Shift, and we like to keep our 24-70mm on hand.

Do you do mentor sessions with other photographers?

Absolutely! We love teaching and sharing our experiences with others. We all start somewhere, and learning along the way is part of the fun! Just send us an email through via hello@bulbcreative.co and let us know you're interested.

Do you do film?

Yes, we have ventured into the world of short films. We only focus on 3-5 minute highlight films and we don't offer vows, speeches and ceremony cuts. Our main focus is to showcase our photography style through a short highlight film. You can add this onto any wedding package. We are only taking on a few films each year so availability is limited. If you are looking for a little longer video with audio, a copy of speeches, ceremony cut, etc; then we can suggest a few awesome videographers that we know and love.

Tips for making sure our wedding is picture perfect?

You can't control everything on your day, but here's some tips from our experiences of awesome weddings to keep in mind.

. . .

NATURAL LIGHT:

When booking a ceremony venue or your "getting ready" accomodation, keep in mind natural light! Think windows with light streaming through. Having down lights or artificial lights is not flattering and can cause unsightly shadows and off skin tones. The makeup artist will always appreciate natural light too.

CLUTTER:

Try to keep mess and clutter away in a seperate room. I know that seems impossible on a crazy day like your wedding, but the photos will come out a lot more cleaner and more pleasing to the eye. Nothing worse than a nice wide shot with sleepover bags in the corner and someones undies hanging over the chair.

ACCOMODATION:

This isn't always an option for some, but if you really want your photos to look great when you are getting ready, consider hiring an Air BnB. Generally they are styled nicely, are tidy/clutter free, are more spacious, and have more character than a hotel room. A bonus is that you can make a little holiday out of it. We have seen/heard of so many issues with the general hotel room being too squishy, having no character, and have only one or two windows, which can leave the photographers, videographers and make up artists all fighting for prime lighting position.

OUTDOOR CEREMONY:

If having an outdoor ceremony, try to make sure there will be even shade/light for the time of your ceremony. There is nothing worse than a squinting bride and groom with bright and dark patches all over your beautiful faces. If there is no shade, being slightly back lit (having the sun somewhere behind you) is always more flattering than having the sun full blazing on you two. Also consider what time of the day it will be, as this well determine how harsh the sun will look on you. When scouting for locations for your ceremony make sure you also consider the time of year as the sun will be positioned differently. Don't forget to have a backup plan for if the weather doesn't go to plan (fingers and toes crossed that it doesn't rain!). Unexpected rain does happen and no back plan can leave you with a rusty, dusty hall as your new ceremony spot.

GOLDEN HOUR:

The golden hour is that last hour of light before it gets dark, and is the best time for those romantic/soft/glowing portraits. The golden hour can be anywhere between 5pm - 7pm (earlier in winter and later in summer). The sun will also set more quickly if you have high trees or mountains around, as oppose to an open field area. Another tip for those getting married during those pesky Daylight Savings months, is to talk to your wedding coordinator about moving the reception or ceremony to suit the sun. Some venues or couples forget this and end up only having time for their portraits while it's still super bright outside. Worst case we can pull you out during the reception time for some photos during those final moments of sun.

UNPLUGGED CEREMONY:

This is something we like to suggest for a few reasons. An unplugged ceremony is where guests put away their phones and cameras, and enjoy the moment in real time and not through their cameras or phones. This means they can be present and be there to witness and celebrate your day. This also means we won't have grandma holding up her new iPad in the middle of the aisle in all the shots. We have had so many near trips and ceremony shots of the bride walking down the aisle with people bending over pews and sticking their phone or cameras in front of the bride. It's a great way for guests to take some time away from all the gadgets and gizmos and just be in the moment and engage in your beautiful day. You are hiring us to photograph it anyway so Grandma can relax and enjoy the day knowing that she will have beautiful photos to add to her new iPad in due time.

TIME PLANNING:

Try to remember that things happen and can put you behind time, which usually means less time spent on those moments that make some really special memories (and photos!). Like enjoying the moment you finally put on your wedding dress, having a moment with your dad when he see's you for the first time, spending some time alone with your new husband/wife at sunset. All these things are often moments you want photographed or want to enjoy, but unfortunately, some couples don't plan enough time for these things which results in rushing and missed photo opportunities, and ultimately... not being able to fully enjoy those moments.

FAMILY PHOTOS:

Our best advice for this is to keep it small and simple. Just immediate family is probably the best way to go (if you can). It takes a lot more time and effort than you might realise to round up excited family members (especially when there's food and drinks floating around). We do ask for a designated person (that is not yourself) to help round up family in the toilet and what not, which does help things to run smoother. But 9/10 times after family photos, we have an exhausted newly-wed couple that can't wait to get out of there... So keep the list as short, sweet and simple as you can. Remember you have the rest of the night to grab us to take photos with friends and extended cousins... when you are more relaxed.

KEEP IT PERSONAL:

At the end of the day, your wedding day is about the two of you and celebrating that! It's hard to not get caught up in the the traditions and details and keeping everyone else happy, which will always end up in some sort of drama or detract from what the real purpose of your wedding is. But ultimately, we are here to capture you and celebrate your relationship, and nothing should take the attention away from that. If you ask yourselves, "does this element mean anything to us", and if your answer is "probably not" or "if we had it our way then we wouldn't do that.." then don't do it. This is a celebration of YOUR commitment. So in other words, leave the family politics aside, forget about if your entree' choice will please the in-laws or not, choose the over-the-top bouquet you wanted, have that gelato cart as dessert instead of traditional cake . We want you to just enjoy your day as much as you possibly can and celebrate you and your new partner for life!

YOUR PORTRAITS:

This is the time where you can step away from all the guests and just enjoy each others company as a married couple. Don't worry about how you should look or feel. Just be present and in the moment with your new partner for life. YOU JUST GOT MARRIED! Just make sure you set enough time aside to enjoy this part. About an hour is ideal (remember to include extra time for travel though). We like to give the first part of the session to the whole bridal party (if you have one) and then the remainder to just the two of you, without all the distractions and onlookers.

With this in mind, we want to capture what makes you, you! If that means, catching a helicopter to stand on top of a mountain, or letting off smoke bombs in some abandoned warehouse, or frolicking through long grassy fields (NZ is better for this due to snakes not existing there), or cuddling next to epic trees... then let's do it! We want to capture what makes you both feel alive, what brings out the best of you, and your unique chemistry.

STYLISTS, FLORISTS AND COORDINATORS

Are they really worth it? If the look and feel of your day is important to you... then Heck yeahhhh! We see it all the time, the Pinterest page full of ideas and inspirations for the wedding, but don't want to or are unable to spend the money, so you try and do as much DIY as you can. For those who are naturally crafty, this can be helpful. However, most people don't have a lot of spare time on their hands to complete all these little details and end up with a migraine and a bottle of tequila by their bedside just at the thought of their wedding To Do List. Sometimes spending the money is worth it. Let people do the hard work for you! Styling companies have a lot of inventory to work with, and will do all the setting up and packing down (something no one will willingly volunteer to help you with for DIY weddings). Florists know what work together and how to construct a bouquet properly, they also know how to deck out a space to really create an atmosphere. We have seen some DIY bouquets or centre pieces that had good intentions but fell apart before the day even started, and honestly, some just looked tacky. At the end of the day, it is your wedding and you want to enjoy it without the lack of sleep leading up to it. So spend that little bit on services that can help off load the stress from your shoulders (or from obliged bridesmaids) and let them work their magic, so that you can actually ENJOY the magic.

Any other questions that didn't get answered? Or what some advice on planning your wedding? Then feel free to send us through an email via our contact page.